TMC moves resolution against NEET in Bengal assembly, demands return to JEE
West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu said that the TMC had protested when the entrance exams were handed over to the Centre
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal on Wednesday moved a resolution in the legislative assembly condemning the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and demanding that the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) be reinstated in the state.
Earlier in June chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to abolish NEET and revert to the previous system in which states conducted their own entrance examinations.
“Previously for the state quota of undergraduate and postgraduate seats in medical colleges in West Bengal, JEE was conducted by the Joint Entrance Board, which has since been abolished due to the NEET coming into force,” the resolution said while condemning the “failure” of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
State education minister Bratya Basu said in the assembly that the TMC had protested when the exams were handed over to the Centre.
“We feel that the JEE should be returned to the states as it was before 2016 - 17. Other states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have already demanded this. The Centre should immediately take a decision,” he said.
Earlier this week the Karnataka cabinet approved a proposal and they were set to pass a resolution in both Houses during the ongoing session. It came after Tamil Nadu’s move to abolish the NEET examination and revert to the previous system of state-based medical admissions using Class 12 marks.